"Being debt free is better than spending feels."
This blog will follow the ups and downs of living on a beer budget ($40,000/year) in Ottawa. I am a 20-something girl who came out of 2 degrees with $33,000 in student loans. Through dedication and hard work that was paid off in less than a year and I now own a home. I am not a financial planner or expert, but have developed an interest in my finances and how to make the most of my income. Questions? Email me at bigcitybeerbudget@gmail.com

Friday, December 2, 2011

My New Job

Since I began working full time after school (June 2008 if you're counting) I've worked two contract positions. One I was thrilled to even get an interview, let alone hired -- hello, Vancouver Olympics! -- but since the beginning of the year I'd been itching to transition from my second contract into something permanent.

A permanent position opened over the summer and while I had a great interview, I did not get the position - it went to a colleague of mine who had the exact skill set and experience the job required. Seeing so many former colleagues and people I went to school with applying for jobs for months at a time and not being successful I didn't want to be jobless when my contract ended in March 2012. So, I started looking around.

A former colleague emailed me a position that was opening up in her office in Ottawa and I jumped at the chance to apply. Admittedly I'd never filled a role exactly like this one in a position, instead I'd dabbled in elements of it in other positions. However, after a great face-to-face meeting, and a Skype interview I was offered the position. Two years ago I'd have never considered taking a position at this salary, but looking at my current industry and seeing my former colleagues struggle to land something, I jumped at this transition.

Here's what my current salary/benefits look like:Salary: $40,000Pension Matching: 5% or $2,000Vacation: 2 weeks to start, up to 3 next yearBenefits: Dental, Medical, Vision (I've already used $300 towards medications!)Work environment: FUN! Our next staff event is a cooking class(In my previous job I had neither pension matching nor benefits, so these new additions are great)